


Life After

by Karezi413



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Multi, Post-Sburb/Sgrub
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-23
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2018-09-26 12:09:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9895904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karezi413/pseuds/Karezi413
Summary: After SBURB has ended, everyone is living in the new world, Terezi, Karkat and Dave are about to face their biggest challenge, being parents.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is really off canon but I had started this before Act 7 and I stumbled on this and I still liked what I had done/planned out so here it is.

After SBURB had ended, most of the winners had stayed connected and mostly friendly with each other with the few exceptions, namely Karkat. Rose and Kanaya shared a house together, excelling in making various things for the others along with growing up the mother grub. Roxy, Jade and Calliope all shared a house, often spending late nights talking about whatever came to mind. Dave had a house with Karkat and the mayor, occasional arguments could be heard from there, but the duo got along generally well. Dirk and Jake shared a residence, spending tons of time playing games with each other, becoming better friends than ever after their past breakup. Jane and John both lived together, happy to have each other along with Jane’s father. Roxy’s visits made both of them very happy, though different things happened depending who she came to see.

 

That only left Terezi alone in an empty house. After Vriska had left her side to fight, she never saw the Serket again. It was strange to have Vriska out of her life, not just because they were Moirails but because Vriska had always been there for her, she couldn’t imagine when the last time she didn’t have Vriska tormenting or helping her was. Kanaya and Rose used to visit her, but eventually the visits slowed down and stopped altogether. Her and John used to visit each other and have frequent blackrom dates, but eventually she couldn’t really bear it. Looking forward to just a blackrom date felt too negative and eventually she broke it off. The last friend she saw was Karkat, but eventually him and Dave grew too close and she was accidentally scraped from his life.

 

Terezi didn’t like the thought of the others sympathizing for her, so instead when someone asked how she was doing she’d grin and say she was fine. If they were visiting she’d show them her latest chalk drawing. However those lies began to wear on the libra, bringing her down when she realized she had to lie about being happy. It brought her further down once she realized all her FLARPing partners were gone. Jade wanted to play, but she wasn’t good at it. Then it took a harder toll on her when she realized justice wasn’t really a thing anymore. The new world had laws, but none of their friends broke them and all the previous laws were pretty much scrapped. She had been chosen to deal with being a “judge” if a case would arise, but that was far, far away.

 

The happiest day she had was when Kanaya told her she was finally able to get the mother grub up and would be able to produce some young. It wasn’t exactly a happy day, more of a neutral day, but it was something for her to do. It was even more awkward when Kanaya told her that she’d need material from her and another troll to make a grub. Originally she took that as Kanaya wanting to pail her, making a small fuss about it before Kanaya told her that she had to take care of the mother grub to make sure she’d be okay and wouldn’t be able to watch the first batch of kids. That meant Terezi would have to make the first batch with her old flush crush.

 

After an awkward and not completely honest pailing session with Karkat, she delivered the materials to Kanaya. Even that was less awkward than when she had to talk to Karkat about who would keep the grub or grubs. After a bit of talk, Terezi had suggested she’d take them in. It wasn’t that she was craving to care for grubs, but they could keep her company. Besides, she needed a reason in life with her justice gone, her longest and oldest friend gone and all her friends moving on without her. Also maybe people would visit her again if she had the grubs. Karkat seemed to dislike the idea a bit but agreed with her. She hadn’t exactly told him about all of the reasons she wanted them, she really didn’t like people worrying about her. Of course she reassured that he would be able to visit them and let them spend time with both their knight fathers. That made him insist he didn’t want to be a father but that he had to, but she could tell he wanted them. She could read him like a book.

 

Before the grubs arrived, Karkat and Dave had already helped Terezi set up what humans called two cribs, unsure of just how many grubs they’d be getting. The boys set up a nice room in Terezi’s otherwise almost empty house, making everything Dave and Rose said she might need, letting the female paint and decorate it. Along with the cribs, they made her a chair she could move back in, called a Rocking Chair. They also made a changing table while Terezi painted some clouds on the wall. She felt like she wasn’t doing enough to help and she offered to help them build but Dave said it was a man’s job. She didn’t quite grasp it, but she must’ve sounded or looked angry because he had to quickly assure her it was a joke and that she should keep working on the walls because she was getting really good with her art, better than anyone else nearby. That was enough to make her just work on her own thing and let them work.

 

During the process though, watching Karkat and Dave get along so well almost made Terezi sad, realizing she had crushed on both of them and ended up with no one. She couldn’t get either of them, she couldn’t even decide which one she liked more. She had loved Karkat longer and had now even seen him naked, but Dave was also a runner as he had been something new to her, something she wanted to know about, they also seemed to get along beautifully alone. But these two were so happy together, she even almost wondered if the grubs would be better raised with them and that maybe she was being selfish for wanting company, did she really have the right to take them and raise them in her house? Sure the boys were right across the path from her, but maybe they’d be better with a loving home rather than her current dull and lonely home.

 

Finally when the mother grub deposited the eggs, she deposited five eggs, soon hatching into five little grubs. When the eggs had been laid, it made Terezi even a bit more sad. Kanaya had told her once that a pair of trolls would produce one to five grubs each time, less amount of eggs were made if the trolls weren’t as compatible together, the more eggs, the more chemistry the two shared, and five was the highest they could produce. When time came for them to hatch, Karkat, Dave, Kanaya and Terezi were nearby, watching the process. Karkat and Dave were hugged together for the “Special” moment, Kanaya was around to make sure things would be smooth, and Terezi, she was actually there for her new children to hatch. She even felt a bit of a tingle run through her, starting to feel rather excited for the grubs.

 

The grubs hatched in order, came a teal blooded male with sharp horns, like his mother, a red blooded female, also with sharp horns, followed by a red blooded male with rounded horns almost the spitting image of his father. Another teal blood hatched, female with rounded horns, and finally a red blooded female, also with sharp horns. Both the red blooded females with their sharp horns were almost identical, aside from a slightly different hair style. Clearly this would be trouble in the future, perhaps she could put a bow or something on one or both. But for now, the five were healthy and ready for their homes. 

 

Terezi was taken back by the miracle, watching them for a moment before moving forward and lifting up the red male, holding him in her arm, she had begun to lift them into her arms, already wanting to surround them all in love. Karkat watched her and went forward to her, she moved to let him hold them as well, one at a time, smiling at them all. It felt like things could turn around, her life was surely on an uphill slope from here. She had a purpose and they already made her feel like a mother. Or at least how she thought it’d feel, she never did anything like this, nor has any trolls really done it.

  
Kanaya prepared a basket and carefully put the little grubs in, handing the basket off to Terezi as the boys went out again to make a few more human cribs for the extra grubs. As they did, Terezi held onto the basket with her grubs in it, rocking in the rocking chair, thinking of names for each grub. She had already dubbed the one resembling her trollian crush ‘Karkles’ almost like a memento towards the name she used to tease him with as wigglers. Her first hatched, the teal male with sharp horns she had named ‘Kerzer’, her first red female she had named ‘Vivian’, one of the many names Dave had thrown out at her, probably a human name. Her female teal blood was given the name ‘Terisa’ and her last grub named ‘Cotuva’. Karkat insisted they were terrible names, but Terezi stuck by them, reminding him he should be grateful she didn’t name them like her scalemates. It’s not like she really would’ve done that to her kids anyways, she already loved them. Besides, aside from Vivian and Karkles she had chosen traditional trollian names. And Karkat hadn’t helped her think of them.


	2. Chapter 2

“You know Terezi, you’re looking better and healthier lately.” Kanaya told the libra when she saw her next. Terezi felt like she had to do things a bit more healthy than before. Before she could eat a little a day and not care. Now though, she ate enough to feel full. If she didn’t, her children could pick up on her unhealthy habits. That and she had to be healthy to take care of the five little ones. Being healthy and taking care of five grubs was hard enough, if she got unhealthy and had to do it, it’d be ten times harder.

 

“I’ve been trying, really trying.” She admitted, smiling at her, stroking Karkles as he nuzzled up to her, the other grubs playing together. Karkles had been the most clingy to her, obviously loving his mother dearly.

 

“Well you’re doing a good job with them, Terezi. Maybe even better than Karkat would with primary care.” Terezi chuckled, stroking her son as she watched her other brood. 

 

“Oh shut up.” Terezi said playfully, sticking out her tongue. Kanaya lifted up Terisa, holding her on a scale, writing down the number for her records. 

 

“I just never pegged you as a mothering troll, Terezi.” She responded, making a small glance up at the libra. 

 

“Neither did I actually” She admitted, petting her little boy before leaning over to offer her daughter a soft pet. Kanaya set Terisa back down, grabbing up Cotuva to weigh.

 

“Oh, do I have to use the moobeast’s milk? Or what are they, cows? I don’t like having to take their milk for five kids. I’ll suck them dry!” She chuckled. “Rose said humans feed their kids with their own milk, why can’t you or I use our milk?” She asked, tilting her head. Lactation ran common in female trolls, the lower on the spectrum, the more likely a troll could lactate at any time after puberty, the only exception was the fuchsia bloods who could all lactate. The only ones that couldn’t actually lactate of the group had been Nepeta and Aradia, though they all suspected it was because Aradia hadn’t reached puberty by her death and wasn’t around long enough after her resurrection to go into puberty.

 

“Wait, you’re just using their milk?” Kanaya asked, writing down Cotuva number with a chuckle. “You’re supposed to use your milk, silly.” Terezi blinked, looking at her.

 

“Well I wasn’t told to!” She said, pouting. Kanaya smiled, patting her shoulder.

 

“The only time you have to use their milk is if neither of the parents produce milk. Such as the female or females don’t, or both parents are males.” Terezi groaned out. “I don’t blame you for not knowing dear. Lusii did feed us other milk.” Terezi rolled her eyes. 

 

“Still. You could’ve told me.” Terezi nuzzled Karkles as Kanaya picked up and weighed Kerzer. Karkles nuzzled back, kissing his mother’s face. Terezi looked over at Kanaya’s information. 

 

“So what exactly is all this for?” Terezi asked, wondering what the spreadsheets were for. She was surrounded by five manilla folders and five different information sheets along with papers on their hatching time, weight and height. Kanaya changed grubs, picking up Vivian. 

 

“I’m weighing each of them to make sure they’re a healthy weight. They’d probably have shots too, but we are all too young for anyone to have previous knowledge on what or how to make shots. We also have nothing to vaccinate against.”

 

“Right and what all goes on the sheet?”

 

“Weights, heights, and growth, and whenever I take them. This way we’ll have averages.” Terezi shrugged acceptingly. Kanaya put Vivian, looking for the last one, moving forward for Karkles. Terezi handed him to Kanaya, Karkles squirming as he started to cry for his mother. Terezi frowned and pulled him back to her, calming him down. He let out a whine and cuddled back to his mother. She moved, handing him back to Kanaya. He blinked as his mother let go, looking at Kanaya, starting to wiggle and cry. Terezi sighed at her clingy grub, who cried and squirmed as Kanaya attempted to weigh him. 

 

Terezi rolled her eyes and put her hands on her grub, letting him know she was there. He grinned and squealed, still for his mother. 

 

“You know, in all honesty, I had no interest to be their mother. I just wanted the company.” Kanaya quirked an eyebrow as she wrote down his weight, letting him return to his mother. 

 

“Never tell that to them when they’re older, it’ll make them feel like they ruined your life.” She told her, looking over all the information. 

 

“I don’t plan on it, besides, I love them now. They’re my young, they’re the most important things in my life right now.” She smiled and moves to sit with the rest of her children, the other four moving to climb on top of their mother.

 

“If I asked you what was the most important a few weeks ago I’m sure you would’ve said justice. You’ve changed huh?” Terezi sighed, thinking about it. 

 

“I,” She paused for a moment, “I have. I guess I hadn’t thought about it, but I changed for them. I didn’t want to change I guess but I did, they need me and I’ve grown up, I need them too. Besides what justice is there here? I’ll fight for it, but no one here would dare oppose it. We all made the laws together.” She looked up at Kanaya. “Besides, look at them all?” She leaned in, nuzzling her grubs happily. “They love me so much, I’m their mother.” Kanaya smiled as she put their paperwork together, leaning over to pat her back.

 

“And you’ll be a really good mother Terezi.” Terezi smiled back at her.

 

“Thank you Kanaya, I’d hug you, but I’m covered in children right now.” She said with a soft chuckle. Kanaya did move to help her up, sending her on her way home. She walked quietly with her squealing kids as they walked, making sure none of them would move too far out of her arms.

 

“Terezi.” She blinked and looked up, not seeing anyone, looking around before spotting Karkat approach from the right.

 

“Oh, hey Karkat.” She greeted as he moved in closer. As he moved in, Terisa leaped from her mother’s head at her father who caught her.

 

“Terisa! What did I say about doing that?” She scolded, but the grub, instead, nuzzled and purred to her father. 

 

“Relax, she’s just so happy to see the  _ better _ parent.” He said with a halfway smirk.

 

“Oh shut up, Kanaya said I’m doing a fantastic job.” She smiled at him, watching Terisa.

 

“By the way, Dave and I were thinking they could maybe spend the night tomorrow.” He informed, looking up at her in time to see her smile fade.

 

“What? But aren’t they a little too young for that? I mean I’m still feeding them on milk.” She reminded, not really wanting to let them go.

 

“So come with, feed them and then I don’t know, leave some milk with us.” She sighed sadly. 

 

“Alright, I’ll, think about it.” She told him, looking down at her nuzzling and loving daughter. “Walk me home?” He looked at his daughter then all over at his children before shrugging and nodding.

 

“Fine.” He told her, moving to walk with her. She smiled as he did so, letting Cotuva move from her arm to Karkat’s shoulder and back again.

 

“So, is Dave not coming over tonight?” Terezi inquired, noticing he wasn’t with Karkat. 

 

“He’s spending the night with Rose. She and Kanaya are helping him with some things and they might be busy for a long time. 

 

“Aw, I know Vivi will miss him.” Terezi looked at Vivian who sat on her shoulder calmly, looking back at her mother when she realized she was being watched. “Ooh I just had a better idea than tomorrow!” Terezi cried out, turning to look back at him.

 

“Oh yeah?” Karkat asked, reaching to pick up Kerzer off his mother’s head.

 

“You can come spend the night with me and the grubs! I have a pretty comfortable couch I think you’d like.” She suggested, grinning at him. “Plus you could spend time with your kids for once.” She teased, snickering a little.

 

“We wanted them to come over and test the new room we made for them though. Fuck, we made the mayor move to the attic. Just let them spend the night.” Terezi groaned in sadness, reluctantly nodding.

 

“Alright… Fine they can spend the night. But if you need help, I’m not-... Okay I’d help, but not for you, for them.” She assured looking towards her house as they approached the two houses.

 

“Why are you so adamant about them not coming over? You’re acting super protective like you can’t trust me. Come the fuck on Terezi, you can trust me, I made them too you know!” Karkat exclaimed, huffing and crossing his arms.

 

“I know! I just, I really love them, and I’m scared something will happen, it’s too soon!” Terezi didn’t like what she was doing, but she couldn’t get over it. 

 

“So a night away will be good for you, and for them, you won’t be able to hold onto them forever you know. Terezi nodded with a sigh.

 

“I know, y-you’re right. Y-you can keep them tomorrow night. But for tonight, just come and spend time with them.” She instructed, leading him into her house.


End file.
